Blasting agent.



ime STATES HANS VON DAHMEN, OF VIENNA,

Fries.

ATENT AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEF FUHRER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

BLASTING AGENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,57 '7,

dated December 24, 1901.

Application filed October 20, 1900. Serial No. 33,738 (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS VON DAHMEN, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary,

have, invented certain new and useful Im the conversion of metallic aluminium into its oxid the same quantity of heat isliberated. This caloric effect I utilize to raise the ,temperature of the gases arising ou-firing blasting agents in order to obtain increased .mechanical effect. Exhaustive experiments made with various kinds of blasting agents have yielded surprising results. Thus picric acid tested in Trautzels cylinder yielded a volume of, about ten hundred and fifty cubic centimeters, whereas the addition of twenty per cent. of aluminium increased the volume to thirteen hundred and seventy cubic centimeters.- This example shows the immense increase in mechanical effect which can be obtained. This is all the more striking in the case of picric acid, since this acid is poor in oxygen, and on the experiment with a twenty-gram charge a large amount of nudecomposed carbon was found remaining. It will be clear that there must be ar increase of themechanical work done in the case of all blasting agentsthe firing-point of which is below the temperature at which aluminium J oxidis formed, as nu merous experiments with compounds containing nitroglycerin, nitrocellulose, chlorate, and perchlorate powders dthe like have shown. Furthermore, it 15 obvious that the effect of the heat liberated must be greater the lower the firing-point of the blasting agent. For the purpose in View ammonium nitrate appears to be the substance best suited. Even with the stron gcst fulminating agents nitrate ot,;lammonia cannot beperfectly converted into its gaseous condition, though-it is estimated by means of the Trautzel-cylinder test that a chargeof twenty grams yields a volume of about eight hundred cubic centimeters. The ammonium nitrate combined with aluminium according to the formula:

as shown by means of a 'lrautzel-eylinder test, yields a volume of two thousand cubic centimeters for a twenty-gram charge.

If this blasting agent is closely examined, we find that apart from the extraordinary strength it possesses still other remarkable advantages.

The after fumes (the aluminium oxid being reckoned as a solid) consist of steam, fifty per cent; nitrogen, fifty per cent. total, one hundred per cent, which may be considered as a very favorable composition. The manufacture of the blasting agent is simple and safe, the intimate mixing of the,

two components being unattended with danger. its application is likewise sate.

Aluminium is almost altogether proof against the action of nitrate of ammonium, a oint of muchimportauce as regards storage of the blasting agent. The thin layer of oxid which may form protects the metal from further oxidation and renders it extremely durable. It may be assumed that at the high temperatures at. which layer of oxid at the moment of firing, due to the presence of carbon, will be reduced to metallic aluminium, wherefore the following I composition is to be recommended: 4 NH,N0,)+A1,+0=

der, yielded for a charge'of twenty grams a volume of two thousand cubic centimeters.

The transformation into a gaseous state may be elfected by preparations of fulminate ofmercury, similarly as is the case with all nitrate-of-ammonium blasting agents. Similar but not such satisfactory results may also l explosion occurs a.

4N,+ s i1',o +A1,o,+oo. This composition, tested in a Traut'zel cylin be obtained by means of other lightmetals,

magnesium being, however, probably the only one likely to prove practically valuable.

I claim- 5 1. The herein described composition of matter consisting of a light metal in a finelydivided state and nitrate of ammonium, snbsiantially as described. Witnesses 2. The herein described composition of W'OLDEMAR HAUPT, 1o mattereensisting of metallic aluminium in a HENRY HASPER.

finely-divided state and nitrate of ammonium, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HANS VON DAUMEN. 

